Monday, July 21, 2014

Guest - Megan Elizabeth

Good morning! We have author Megan Jones visiting today. Today Megan is talking about writing so it should be interesting. We have some delightful Toffee Brownies and my favorite Roobios tea. Enjoy!

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Writing on Writing

By
Megan Elizabeth

A friend of mine
once asked me, “If I could offer any advice to new authors what would it be?”
For a moment I paused, thinking who am I to give guidance or advice to anyone?
The truth of the matter is, I am not James Patterson or J.K. Rowling. However,
I am a writer who has started from the bottom and am working my way up through
the industry in the hopes that one day I will be the next J.K. Rowling or JR
Ward. So again I ask myself, what life experience do I have to share with a new
writer? I’ll start from the beginning.

Writing is not a
talent that one is born with. Sure, there are always those few stories of the
phenom, like Steven Hawking who are just brilliant; but for others like myself
it’s a constant work in progress. My tumultuous relationship with writing began
at a very young age, that is, when I actually started writing, which wasn’t
until third grade. Sad but true, I couldn’t even write my name. Why, you ask?
I’m dyslexic, and from day one I was behind all the other kids. Little Susie
was happily scratching her name on her papers with hearts and flowers; I was
ripping mine up and tossing it in the trash. Taking a new paper, foregoing the
name writing part and drawing epic scenes that only I would visualize in my
head. Was that the making of writer? Could be, or it could be a little girl who
watched too much TV and lived in her own world.

My family and I
were told that I would never go to college, yet I have a BA and a CEAS. We were
told I’d never read or write properly; yet I’ve read hundreds, possibly even
thousands of books. I’ve also written two novels and have started a third. So,
am I the New York Times best seller here to give advice to the lowly new
writer? No, I’m the writer who was told that the New York Times was a pipe
dream. Just like they told that little girl she would never read or write. It
might not be today, but I will get there. If you want to write, you can and
will be a writer. If you have a story to tell, there is someone out there who
will listen.

Now the serious
part—the part where I share my limited experiences with you, and you can take
what you will from it. The first question that I get is, “How do you go about
getting your book published?” Deep breath and ready for the answer? Keep in
mind this is for works of fiction because the nonfiction world operates
differently. Also, you can self-publish or go for a traditional publisher. For
those of you looking for that professional acceptance into the publishing world,
then traditional is for you, and you may continue reading. First, write your novel, even if it’s complete
garbage. Keep writing until your self-titled garbage is complete. Then edit,
edit, edit. Then even if you think it’s perfect, edit some more. Find a
critiquing partner who understands your vision of the book and allow them to
read it. (Hold your breath and hope they like it.)
Always
be prepared to rewrite.

Next, figure out
how you are going to get your name out there. It’s not going to be based on how
many “likes” you get on Facebook. In my experience, the best place to meet
industry professionals such as editors and agents are at conferences scattered
around the country. Find an organization that supports your genre like the RWA
(Romance Writers of America) that gives authors the chance to interact with the
industry. Here’s the difficult part—conferences can get pricey and so can
joining organizations. However, I’ve always thought that the best kind of
investment is investing in yourself.

Even so, if that
isn’t possible, be prepared to write the world’s best query letter. What’s a
query letter, you ask? It is a letter that the publishing industry uses to
torture poor writers like myself who need 100,000 words to tell a story. A
query letter is a one page letter that you will send to that oh-so-fabulous
agent in NYC who can’t wait to make you a star and get you on the New York
Times best sellers list. It needs to include a blurb about your book (not to be
confused with a synopsis). Think what you would read on the back cover of your
favorite book. Think that’s all? Nope, just getting started. It needs genre,
word count, your author bio, as well as any previous sales you may have made.
Did I mention it can only be one page?

Now you have
your wonderful query letter, and you send it to all the publishers and agents
you can Google. What next? It’s time to play the waiting game! Yes, ladies and
gentlemen, you must wait for a reply. You may not call, text, e-mail, Facebook,
tweet or fax any of the people you have queried. Turnaround time can range
anywhere from one week to three months; or the worst case scenario: no news is
not good news. I am the world’s least patient person; I have people who can
attest to that. However, it is always important to remember a bad reputation is
very hard to change. So wait and be courteous.

You’ve waited,
you’ve been polite and courteous, and worst of all patient. You finally get an
email back or a prestigious envelope from NYC. You tear it open or can’t move
your mouse fast enough to see the wonderful offer you got for your work of art.
You open it and then…..REJECTED. Don’t panic! Even the greats like Sherrilyn
Kenyon and JR Ward have been rejected, even dropped, by publishers. Cry, scream
and curse if you have to, but do not under any circumstances e-mail the
rejecting publisher or agent and ask them why they rejected you even if they
haven’t already stated. Don’t tell them all the ways they’ve made a mistake,
and they need to take you. Take it with a grain of salt, file it away and move
on. If that doesn’t work, call your mom and cry to her like I do.

Okay, I forget,
are we on number three or four? Moving on, things you will need to submit to an
agent or editor. You will need to have a synopsis of your work ready to go. This
a one to five page document (depending on the request—you need to save every
version you create) that highlights the greatest parts about your story. Always
include your ending in the synopsis. You don’t need the ending in your query
letter (it’s just a letter to generate interest), but you do need your ending
in your synopsis. This a chance to show your writing voice. Don’t just list
what happens. Put those awesome skills you’ve acquired to work and show what
you’re made of.

Synopsis…done.
Next, your manuscript will either be requested in full or partial. A request
for a full is pretty obvious. It means they want you to send the whole
manuscript (check the submission guidelines for formatting). Make sure you’re
sending exactly what they are asking for—nothing more, nothing less. A partial
means they are asking for the first three chapters or fifty pages of your
manuscript (again, check your formatting). In my personal taste, I like to end
my partial at a great point in the story. Keep it clean, and leave them wanting
more. Leave them wanting to request a full.

Oh, my gosh! You
finally got an offer. Do the happy dance! It’s time to celebrate, go out for
drinks, or in my case eat cheesecake. Make sure it’s the right choice and fit
for you. If you’re questioning your choice, it is okay to say no, though I
doubt you’ll want to after the rejection boat has sunk. Sign on that dotted line,
and go straight to New York Times stardom. Hopefully, I’ll see you there.

When the sins of the past claim the future the craving for more can
turn deadly….

When the goddess of Love and father of evil determine your fate do you
fight back? Matteaus leader of the Fallen never backs down from a challenge.
Not even when his fated female proves to be the most challenging of them all.

A former warrior in the Heavenly Kingdom, Matteaus, leader
of The League of the Fallen bears the scars from a past filled with regret and
misguided deeds. Renowned for his thirst for redemption and walking the line
between saint and sinner, he is a male feared by many and respected by all.
Determined to right his many wrongs, his drive for redemption is his only
companion. His warrior nature his only passion-until his next assignment brings
him in to the fiery path of a beautiful female who’s been on the run for secret
reasons of her own.

Taylor has been running from
Lucifer’s hot pursuit for years, her only concern has been keeping herself and
her young son safe. Having no patience for an unwanted love affair she tries to
ignore the instant attraction to the raw magnetism that rolls off of Matteaus. Yet
as their desire for each other begins to overtake them, Matteaus’ steadfast
determination to earn his redemption keeps him on the path of righteous and
away from Taylor’s searing touch. Now Taylor and Matteaus must join forces to
protect the ones they love.

Could
this be the mission that finally earns his redemption? Or will his past
misdeeds cost him everything, including the one female he is destined to love?

About Megan

Megan Elizabeth is the author of the ground breaking new
series The League of the Fallen-a series that mixes fallen angels and Greek
mythology. She has written in many genres but always returns to Urban Fantasy
and Fantasy. Spending many of her days teaching she is devoted to instilling
the love she has for the written word in others. She lives in New Jersey with
her son Alex and two dogs who are more like children than dogs. She is an avid
reader and is an active member of the national RWA and FF&P branch. If
Megan is not in front of her computer typing away she is working with her
fellow writers in the Books & Bling critiquing group. If you’d like to know
more visit her and The League of the Fallen at www.meganelizabethauthor.com

Lynda Again -- Hope you've enjoyed our guest today. If
you did, please click on the Google (g+) button to help spread the word and leave her a comment to let her know. Also I've
decided to include recipes for the sweet things our readers can enjoy BUT you
have to be a member of my newsletter (you can join below -- it's free!). The recipe and other
tidbits will be there for you to enjoy